Does Carbon Measurement Add Value?

Recently I have attended a series of seminars conducted by the UNE SMART Region Incubator in Armidale on the topic of Carbon Markets and how landholders can be a part of the action.

I am not going to go anywhere near explaining the intricacies of how the carbon market works and just as importantly how one quantifies the increase in carbon in the soil over a period of time. I’ll leave that to the experts. Suffice to say though, that increase, if measured according to protocols, can be sold, benefitting the landholder. An added benefit should be improved soil health and productivity.

At the last seminar, I was asked whether having baseline carbon levels measured would make a difference in the value of a property. My response was my usual, unchanged line. If you intend claiming an advantage or capacity of your property, make sure that advantage or capacity is quantified. So yes, I do believe having a measurement of existing soil carbon would be of value when selling your property. Counterintuitively, some may consider low levels of carbon as being worthwhile because of the potential to produce an increase with a change in management.

I have banged on about quantifying carrying capacity, cropping yield, rainfall, dam capacity et cetera for many years. I loathe the “I reckon” approach to what a property’s production capacity is, and the market loathes it too.

I recommend investigating the process of carbon marketing. It provides another means to quantify the values of your property, whether you plan to sell soon or anytime in the future. And if you quantify that value, you can add it to your sale price with confidence.

I’ll close now by saying how wonderful it is to look out on green grass, full watercourses and blue skies dotted with dark clouds. New England looks a picture and interest in rural property is bubbling again.

Graham MacDougall
MacDougall Rural Property
02 6772 4200

Graham MacDougall has a lifetime association with rural property. In addition to over 30 years in the cattle industry, since 2005 he has been specialising in the marketing of commercial agriculture and rural lifestyle properties in northern New South Wales.